Wind-direction indicator



- May 22, 1928. 1,670,488

H. B. WHITCOMB Y WIND DIRECTI ON INDICATOR Filed April 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WITNESS: 20 ATTORNEY May 22, 1928. 1,670,488

H. B. WHITCOMB WIND DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed April 11, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 19. Wz'faamZ INVENTOR WITNESS: A'ITORNEY Patented May 22, 1928.

HIBAH B.'WHITCOMB, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY. I

WIND-DIRECTION INDICATOR.

Application and April 11, 1924. Serial No. 705,873.

This invention relates to indicators, and has for its object the position of an electric indicating device which will designate the direction in which the wind is blowing, the

invention having for a more specific object the provision of a circuit closing device associated with a movable wind actuated vane for energizing a series of electric lights mounted upon an indicator dial which may be located at a point very remote from the vane, the direction of the wind being indicated by the energization of the lights on this dial.

An additional object is the provision of a [5 device of this character which will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, positive in action, efficient and durable in service and a general improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated -in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wind vane having my device applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the circuit control device carried by the vane,

Figure 3 is a bottom Ian view of the control disk associated with the vane and Figure 4 is a View of the dial and control disk of the vane together with the circuit diagram. v Referring more particularly to the drawings the letter A designates a hollow upright support which may be mounted upon the roof of a building, mast of a ship or other location and which is provided with a. bearing shoulder B upon which is rotatably mounted a vane C of any ordinary or preferred construction which carries a plurality of contacts 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 which extend upwardly as shown. Mounted upon the upper end of the support A and rigid with respect thereto is a disk 13 of insulating material carrying contact'segments to be described with which the contacts 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 cooperate. Also carried by the support A is a hood 14 which covers the disk. and other parts for excluding rain, snow and the like. The various wires to be described which lead from the segments on the disk and the brushes or contacts on the vane extend within the hood 14 and through and 5 beyond the support A to wherever the indicating dial to be descrlbed 1s located.

The disk 13 carries a circular metallic contact ring 15 with which the brush or contact 12 always engages and connected with the brush 12 is a wire 16 which is connected with one terminal of a suitable source of current 17. Mounted on the underside of the disk in spaced relation to one another and outwardly of the ring 15 are metallic contacts 18 which are connected, as shown at 19 with the adjacent ends of an outermost series of metallic segments 20 which are in such position that they will at certain times be engaged by the brushes 8, 9, 10 and 11.

In conjunction with this above described mechanism I provide an indicator dial which may be of any desired construction and mounted within any suitable casing and which includes a dial proper 21 inscribed with the points of the compass. Carried by this dial at points indicating North, East South and West are suitable sockets 22, carrying incandescent bulbs 23, 24, 25, and 26. All these sockets are connected by a wire 27 which leads to the remaining terminal of the source of current, it being preferable that a cut ofi switch 28 be interposed in this wire for rendering the device inoperative at will.

Connected with the brush 8 is a wire 29 which is connected with the remaining terminal of the socket carrying the bulb 23, connected with the brush 9, is a wire 30 which is connected with the remaining terminal of the socket carrying the bulb 24, the brush 10 is connected by a wire 31 with the remaining terminal of the socket carrying the bulb 25, while the brush 11 is connected by a wire 32 with the remaining terminal of the socket carrying the bulb 22.

In the operation it will be seen that when the vane C turns under the influence of the wind certain of the brushes 8, 9, 10 and 11 will bear against the associated segments 20, while the brush 12 bears always against the ring 15. When the wind is from any point between north and east the brush 8 bearing against a contact 20 will close the circuit through the bulb 23, while at the same time the bulb 24 will be energized owing to the fact that one of the segments 18 is connected with this segment 20. In a similar manner it is apparent that if the wind is blowing from a point somewhere between north and west the bulbs 23 and 22 will be energized, and if the wind be blowing fromthe south- We t or ou h a t h bu b .2 nd. eith r he bulb 26 or the bulb 24 will likewise be energized. It is of course apparent that b increasing the number of segments an the number of brushes co-acting therewith a greater degree of accuracy as to the exact directionmight be obtained, though for ordiiiary purposesoit is generally sufficient to know from which quarter the wind is blow- From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a sim 1y constructed and consequently inexpensive electrical indicator which will efficiently operate to give definite information as to what quarter the wind is blowing from, the device being naturally of advantage in a great many instances as for example on ship board, weather bureau observation points, or the like.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

A circuit closer of the characterdescribed comprising a stationary supporting shaft, a vane rotatably mounted upon said shaft, 9. disk of insulating material stationarily mounted upon the shaft, a continuous metal ring mounted on the underside of the disk,

and intermediate series of metal segments mounted on the underside of the ring concentrically of and outwardly with respect to said rings, a second series of metal segments mounted on the underside of the disk outwardly of said first named series of segments and arranged in concentric relation to the disk and a plurality of upstanding supporting elements mounted on the vane and carr ing rollers coacting respectively with sai aintliK the second series of segments on the 1S In testimony whereof I a my si ature.

HIR B. "r' E TCMB.

ring, the first series of segments, 

